Metal wheel.



N0- 636,890.y Patented Nov. I4. |899.

l E. J. BIRKETT.

METAL WHEEL.

LApplcation filed July 25, 1898.)

{No Model.)

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UNTTED STATES PATENT Trios,

EDWARD J. BIRKETT, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE MILWAUKEEHARVESTER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

METAL WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,890, dated November14, 1899.

Application filed July 25,1898. Serial No. 686.885. (No model.)

T0 all whom it Wawy concern,.- v

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BIRKETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mil- Waukee, in the county of Milwaukee, in the State ofWisconsin,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MetalWheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in metal wheels of the suspensiontype, in which the strain upon the spokes is in the direction of theirlength; and its object is to provide a means for securing the spokes tothe hub or hubs that will be strong and simple in construction andeiiicient in its mode of operation. I attain this object by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in.

which- Figure l is a vertical section of the Wheel. Fig. 2 is an endView of one of the hubs. Fig.

3 is an end view of the other hub. Fig. 4 is a cross-section of Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is the axlethimble. Fig. 6 is an end View of the smaller end ofFig. 5. Fig. 7 is a side view ofthe Wheel complete. Fig. 8 is a modifiedmanner of forming the spoke. Fig. 9 is a detail section of other parts.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

l is the inner hub, provided with a transverse opening in the centeradapted to receive the aXle-thimble 2. The axle-thimble is provided Witha collar portion 2', to which may be fitted the central opening of agear or sprocket wheel 3, and is also provided with a larger collarportion 2, provided with a tooth 2', that fits into a receptacle in thesprocketwheel for the purpose of securing the two members againstindependent angular movement. Y

4 is the outer hub and is provided at its center with a transverseopening adapted to receive the outer end of the axle-thimble, the saidouter end of said thimble being provided with a uted portion 5, adaptedto receive the internal projecting portion 6 of the hub 4, the saidinternal projecting portions having different lengths, as shown in Fig.4, for the purpose of increasing or diminishing the outward adjustmentof the hubs upon the aXle-thimble. l

7 are spokes provided with heads at their outer ends and having theirinner ends formed with a portion at approximately right angles with thebody portion and adapted to pass through the openings provided for theirreception in the wheel-hubs. The transverse bent portion of the spoke ispreferably provided with a shoulder portion 7', formed by cutting away aportion of the material in an angular directionl at the inner side ofthe bent end, as shown in Fig. 9, or it may be formed by making a shortreverse bend in the material, as shown in Fig. 8, and the openings inthe hubs being made of a greater length radially to receive them.

8 are the lags or tread-pieces, secured in place by the heads of thespokes. The spokes are passed through the openings in the treadpieoesand the corresponding openings in the rim of the wheel, and their innerends are hooked into the transverse openings in the Wheel-hubs in themanner shown in Fig. 9. rlhe laXle-thimble is then passed through thecentral openin g in said hubs from left to right, the internalprojecting lip portions 6 fitting into the flutes upon the aXle-thimble,one of said iiute portions being made shorter than the others andprovided with a shoulder portion adapted to receive the abutting end ofthe internally-projecting lip portion 6. The sprocket or gear wheel 3being placed in position upon the inner end of the aXle-thimble, restingagainst the annular collar 2", bolts are passed through openings in saidwheel and corresponding openings in the inner wheel-hub and said hub isdrawn toward the annular collar 2" and the outer hub 4is forced in theopposite direction, giving a proper tension to the spokes in awell-known manner, and the distance between the hubs may be increased ordiminished,with a corresponding degree of tension upon the spokes, bychanging the position of the thimble in relation to the lip portions 6on the hub 4.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a metal wheel the combination of a rim having apertures for thereception of spokes; spokes headed at their outer ends and having aportion of their inner ends bent at approximately right angles withtheir longitudinal length and provided with a shouldered or IOO notchedportion; said shouldered or notched portion being upon the side oftheinner bent end most remote from the longitudinal portion, hubs ordisks adapted to receive the bent ends of the spokes and engage With thenotched or shoulder` portion of said spokes when the said hubs are movedapart.

2. In a metal Wheel the combination of an aXle-thimble adapted toreceive two annular disks or hubs, means for moving the disks inopposite directions upon the thimble; spokes headed at their outer endsand having a portion of their inner ends bent approximately at rightangles to their longitudinal portion and provided with a notch forming ashoulder, said notch being upon that side of the inner bent end mostremote from the longitudinal portion, said hubs being adapted to receivethe inner ends of the spokes when said spokes are at right angles withthe axis of the Wheel and to engage with the notched portion of saidspokes when the hubs are moved outward.

3. A metal-wheel spoke formed with a head and having a portion of itsopposite end bent at approximately right angles to its longitudinallength in the form of a hook, and having an indentation in said hookportion, said indentation being upon the side of the hook portion mostremote from the longitudinal portion, substantially as and for thepurpose dcscribed.

4. In a metal Wheel the combination of an aXle-thimble, hubs movablethereon adapted to receive the spokes and means for forcing them apart;spokes formed With a portion at their inner ends that Will beapproximately parallel with the axis when the spoke in its longitudinallength is at right angles with said axis, said inner ends being providedwith a shoulder portion upon the side most remote from the longitudinalportion, adapted to engage with the hub as the spoke is moved outwardand its inner end thereby caused to change from a parallel to an angularrelation with the axis.

EDWARD J. BIRKETT.

Witnessesc Louis O. ZEDLER, EDWARD F. OTTO.

